US 12,074,042 B2
High-density substrate processing systems and methods
Jason M. Schaller, Austin, TX (US); Steve Hongkham, San Ramon, CA (US); Charles T. Carlson, Austin, TX (US); Tuan A. Nguyen, San Jose, CA (US); Swaminathan T. Srinivasan, Pleasanton, CA (US); and Khokan Chandra Paul, Cupertino, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/161,968.
Application 18/161,968 is a division of application No. 16/922,874, filed on Jul. 7, 2020, granted, now 11,574,826.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/873,503, filed on Jul. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0170231 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/6719 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67167 (2013.01); H01L 21/68707 (2013.01); H01L 21/68742 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing a substrate within a substrate processing system, the method comprising:
delivering, with a transfer chamber robot, a substrate to a first substrate support within a transfer region of a chamber system;
engaging the substrate at the first substrate support with a transfer apparatus housed within the transfer region of the chamber system;
transferring, with the transfer apparatus, the substrate to a second substrate support within the transfer region of the chamber system;
rotating the transfer apparatus to a recessed position in which each of one or more end effectors of the transfer apparatus does not interfere with vertical translation of the first substrate support or the second substrate support prior to the raising the substrate;
raising the substrate with the second substrate support at a higher vertical position relative to the first substrate support along a central axis of the second substrate support to a first processing region overlying the transfer region, wherein the second substrate support at least partially defines the first processing region from below; and
processing the substrate within the first processing region.